The shrill of the phone woke Alex up. Her head emerged from the covers. Hair everywhere eyes squinted. She could have sworn she took the ringer off the phone.

She looked at the clock as the phone rang again. 1:25am? Who on earth would be calling her at THIS time?

"HELLO?" She said groggily.

A scared child's voice came over the line in a sob. "Lexy?"

"Jon, what's wrong honey?"

"I had the dream again."

Alex sighed. Jon had been having terrible nightmares the past month. But he would never tell her what was happening in them. "Well, did you tell Justin?"

"No, he is asleep. I don't want to wake him."

"Have you tried going back to sleep?"

"Yeah, and I'm just too scared. It's going to get me too."

"What's going to get you Jon?"

"The monster." He whispered.

"Jon, I'm pretty sure Justin won't be mad if you wake him up. Are you at home or his house?"

"His house."

"Just go wake him up, he is your big brother, he shouldn't mind."

"But Britney's here. And he told me not to bother them."

She realized what was happening. "Oh, I see."

"Well why don't you get in bed and I will sing to you."

"It's not the same. I want you here. I miss you."

Alex sighed. "Jon, it's only been 3 days since I've seen you."

"Yeah, but Justin and Britney never want to do anything with me. They just tell me to watch TV as they have grown-up fun."

"Well...." She started.

"Jon, what are you doing on the phone." She heard in the background a sleepy male voice. All she could hear was Jon start to cry on the over end.

Angrily Justin's voice came in the phone. "Who is this? And why are you talking to my brother at 1:30? What did you say to him?"

"Justin, calm down. It's me, Alexandria. He had a nightmare and called me."

"Oh. Hold on..." She heard two people mumbling in the background calmly. "I'm sorry Alexandria. He should know better than to call someone over a stupid nightmare."

"Oh it's fine really. And it's not that stupid. He's been having the same one for about a month now and he won't tell me or anyone else what it's about."

"What? A MONTH?" Justin couldn't believe he didn't know.

"Yeah, he just says he doesn't want the monster to get him too. I don't know what it means. But, it hasn't been too much of a big deal. This is the most upset I've heard him."

"Wow, I had no idea." He started talking with Jon again and returned to the phone. "Listen I know it's late, but Jon is crying awfully and I cant seem to help. Would you mind coming over here? I understand if not. But you seem to know more about this than me." He said the last line a little reluctantly.

"Sure. I know how to get there. I'll be over there in less than 10 minutes."

She hung up the phone and scrambled out of bed. Slipping on her glasses, throwing on a T-shirt and sweatpants and flip-flops and pulling her hair back in a ponytail. She grabbed her keys and headed out to the truck.

------

She got to Justin's house. She had been there once before with Lynn and Jon to pick up laundry or something, she didn't really remember. She couldn't fathom being 19 years old and having this. His house was just as big as Lynn's and Paul's and he had a Mercedes and BMW as well.

Now her truck felt REALLY out of place.

She got out of the truck, shivering because of the cool night air. She walked up the brick path to the front door and it opened before she even was at it.

A young boy ran out and jumped into her arms. She hugged him and picked him up and sat down on the front steps with him in her lap. Justin was at the doorway but she didn't acknowledge him.

"It was so scary Lexy." Jon sniffed.

"I know Jon, I know. But why don't we go inside where its warm." He nodded and she stood up, hoisting him higher up around her torso. As she past Justin, holding the door he sighed. "Thanks for coming so late."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled. She wondered how many people had the privilege of saying they saw Justin Timberlake in his boxers, socks, and an undershirt. She shook the thought out of her head and let Justin led them to the guest bedroom where Jon was sleeping.

Alex walked to the bed and dropped Jon on the bed. He giggled and snuggled under the covers.

"The monster can't get me now."

"Oh really? You drag me all the way out here to tell me that?" She mocked being mad.

"No, YOU are here. The monster can't get you." Alex squatted down next to the bed, resting on her knees and resting her chin on the mattress.

"What makes me invincible to the monster."

"What's invincible?" He asked curiously.

"It's like, when something can't harm you. Immune."

"I think I understand. OK, well, see you are Alex, nothing can hurt you."

"And why is that?"

"Because you are my hero." He whispered. Alexandria looked at the small child. He was so wonderful.

Someone cleared their throat and walked further in the room. "Are you going to be OK Jon?" Justin said sounding hurt.

"Yeah, Lexy's here."

"Honey, I can't stay." She smiled at him.

"WHY NOT?" He almost screamed.

"Shhh, Brit's sleeping." Justin shushed him.

"I don't care! You and Britney are always sleeping. You never play with me. I thought you coming back would be fun. You said we would go to the zoo. But we haven't. I want you to go back on the bus!" Jon screamed.

Alex closed her eyes. Now if this wasn't awkward what was?

"Jon, I'm sorry." He whispered.

"You are always sorry." He pouted, as a tear ran down his chubby cheek.

"Hey, what's with all the screaming?" Alex turned towards the doorway and almost died.

Seeing Britney Spears in an oversized T-shirt, hair ALL messed up and bags under her eyes, was probably the highlight of her life.

It was good to know celebrities have a bit of normality in their life.

"Jon, had a nightmare, and Alex here seems to be the only one that can help." He said bitterly.

"Oh, well, I'm going back to bed." Britney turned on her heels and left the room.

Alex was amazed. Neither one of the two stars had been mean or ugly to her, but neither had made an effort to be nice. They just kinda ignored her.

It really pissed her off.

"Jon, I don't know..." The little boy put his hands over his ears. "..Fine, be stubborn. See if I care." Justin stated then Jon crossed his arms over his chest.

Neither moved. Both were pretty stubborn if you asked Alexandria.

"OK, here is the deal. Since both of you are acting like children..."

"Hey!" Justin looked at her accusatoringly.

"Justin you aren't being a big help here, and Jon you know that you are being stubborn and could make this a lot easier on everyone. Now, I didn't drive all the way out here in the middle of the night on the 1st night I've had off in about 2 months just to watch BOTH of you fight. Jon, you get under the covers, I'm going to sing you to sleep. Justin, why don't you go back to Britney. But promise Jon you will do something with him tomorrow. You might think he is being childish. But that's what he is: a child. And he has been waiting and WAITING for you to get home and I really take it personally when you ignore him, like Jon says you have. YOU are not the one that has to listen to Nsync 24/7 because that's all Jon wants to listen to. YOU are not the one that has to hear that Justin did this and Justin did that. YOU are not the one that has all of Nsync's dance steps and songs EMBEDDED in your brain but NOT BY CHOICE. YOU are his role model and his probably favorite person. Don't let him down. I'm going to go get you some water." She looked at Jon and then left the room to go try and find a bathroom with a glass.

When she was gone, Justin turned to Jon a little shocked by what he had just heard. No one had ever come down on him that hard before, besides his mother. He sat down on the bed. "I'm sorry buddy. Gosh, I so sorry."

Jon sniffed and began to cry again. "I miss my brother."

Justin slipped into the covers and pulled Jon against his chest. "You want me to stay in here tonight?"

"No, you have Britney."

"I'd rather be with you though."

"Really?" He looked up at his brother like he was a million dollars.

"Of course Jon, you are my brother."

Jon rested he head back on Justin chest. "I love you big J."

Justin sighed and kissed the boy's head. "And I love you little J. I'm so sorry about all this."

"It's OK."

"No, its not. It hurts to know that I'm not your best friend anymore."

"You are still my best friend."

"No, Alexandria is."

"Yeah, but cant you have 2 best friends?"

Justin thought for a moment. "I suppose."

"Do you like Lexy?"

"She's all right."

"No, she's awesome. You need to go with us to the beach. You would have fun."

"What do yall do?"

"Chase seagulls and pick shells."

"What's so special about that?"

"I don't know? She just makes it fun, and then we do this thing she calls cloud watching."

"What's that?"

"We lay on this blanket and look at the clouds. She tells me the real names and stuff like that, and I make up names. It's fun." He snuggled deeper into his brother's chest. "I feel sorry for her though."

"Why?" Justin asked curious.

"Well, I've overheard mom and dad calling her that poor girl. She's not poor. She's not rich. But I don't know. She doesn't have any family around. I think that's what mom is talking about. And I've never seen her hang out with anyone besides me. But she seems fine to me."

"Yeah, well, sometimes people are lonely. Hey I got an idea. Maybe one day all three of us can go to the beach or the zoo." Justin looked at Jon hopefully.

"I'd like that." Jon smiled.

"Me too." Alex came in and sat the water on the nightstand. She grinned at the brothers.

"Thanks for coming, sorry about...everything." Justin cringed slightly.

"Don't worry about it. You going to be OK, Jon?"

He just nodded, already being taking into dreamland. She bent over across Justin's chest and kissed the boy's head. "I love you Jon." Justin took in a deep breath when he caught the smell of her shampoo.

She stood up and sighed. "Bye Justin. I'll lock everything back up."

"OK, hey, thanks. And I really am sorry."

"I said don't worry about it." She grinned and pulled the door shut.

Justin looked down at his brother and whispered. "You're right Jon. She's amazing. You're right."